of stevenston



' To all whom it may concern TATS PATEN OFFICE.

WILLIAM RINTOIIL AND DONALD CROSS, OF STEVENSTON, SCOEBLAND, ASSIGNORS TO NOBELS EXPLOSIVES COMPANY LIMITED, OF STEVENSTON, SCOTLAND.

EXPLOSIVE.

iw Draw ing.

Be it known that We, l/VILLIAM RIN'roUL and DPNALD Guess, both subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at Ardeer Factory, Stevenston, Ayrshire, Scotland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosives, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of blasting explosives containing nitroglycerin and gelatinized nitrocellulose.

In this class of explosive it has been pro-' posed to employ aromatic nitro-bodies soluble in nitro-glycerin as components for thepurpose of making the so-called non-freezing explosives. I

It has also been proposed to promote the solubility upon which gelatinization depends by the addition of a small quantity.

of substances such as the acetic ethers of glycerin ethyl, and methylg acetic acid, a mixture of alcohol and ether, acetone, nitrobenzol, dinitro-loenzol, the "nitrates of methyl, and ethyl and other analogous substances.

It has thus been proposed to einploy a proportion of the substance depending'on its nature 'but as a. rule about 10% of the weight of the nitroglycerin was indicated. Further in such connection it was stated that by the use of leat the quantity to be used could be reducer to 2% or even less.

Notwithstanding these proposals such non-freezing and other blasting explosives of this type have hitherto been universally made by mixing the nitrocellulose ;and the nitroglycerin and the component adapted to give non-freezing properties, adding the other ingredients, if any, and completing .the mixing by stirring while heated by a water jacket maintained at an elevated tem- 'perature of for instance to 70 C. The high temperature of mixing has hitherto been considered necessary in order to effect the gelatinization of the nitrocellulose and the dangerous nature of the manufacture of such explosives is largely due to thisuse of a high temperature during gelatinization.

which also considerably increases the cost of manufacture.

Now we have discovered that aromatic nitro-bodies soluble in nitroglycerin, when Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 10, 1919.

Application filed September 24,1917. Serial No. 192,964; g

dissolved in certain small proportions in the nitroglycerin have the property of gelatinizmg completely in the cold all classes of nitrocellulose from the soluble variety up to gun-cotton containing 13% nitrogen, and that the gelatinization s0 carried out takes place more rapidly than when nitroglycerin alone is used at a temperature of from 60 to 70 (1- t This invention therefore consists in empl oying as a gelatinizing aocelerant along wlth nitroglycerin and dissolved therein, a small proportion of the order of 0.1 to 1% calculated on the nitroglycerin, of an aromatic nitro-body, and in effecting the gelatinization of the nitrocellulose of'the blasting explosive thereby without elevation of temperature. a

In carrying this invention into effect in one form by way of example, we eiiip-loy a small quantity ofmfrom 0.1% to 1% calcu lated on the nitroglycerin of one of the .fol lowing aromatic nitro-b'odies soluble in nitroglycerin: I

Mono, di or tri-nitro-toluene;

Mono-nitro-naphthalene;

Di-nitro'benzene Nitro-xylenes; or

Mixtures of these bodies; and dissolve them in the nitroglycerin of the blasting composition, lVe then stir the nitrocellulose into this nitroglycerin solu tion, and the other ingredientsfiif any, and complete the mixing in the usual manner, but without elevation of temperature. A good blasting explosive is thus prepared in all respects equal to the corresponding product prepared by the method of hot gelatinization, while the risks attendant on the use of the latter process are avoided, the out-- put of a given plant is increased, and a I. Modified blasting gelatin.

Nitroglycerin 89.8% Soluble nitrocellulose 8.7 Liquid trinitrotoluene 11% Calcium carbonate 0.6%

. ll. ,Il [odified geligmite. Nitro lycerin 00.5% Solub e nitrocellulose 3.8% Potassium nitrate 27.6% Woodmeal 7.2% Liquid trinitrotoluene Calcium carbonate 0.3%

We find that While ordinary blasting gela- 0 tin of the following composition:

Nitroglycerin 90.6% N itro-cotton .i 8.8% Chalk 0.6%

N itroglycerin 61.1% N itro-cotton 3.82% Vvoodmeal 7.2% Potassium nitrate 27.6% Chalk' .l 0.3%

prepared according to the service method at SO-70C. requires about 75 minutes, a cor r'espondin gelignite'with an accelerator as in Examp e II above requires only about 55 more than 50% tion minutes for gelatinization at normal tem perature. I

The expresslon aromatic nltro-body 1S aromatic nitro-compound capable of acting as an accelerant, -or a mixture v of two or .more such bodies, said mizgture having accelerating properties. "no 7,

Having nowflescribed our invention, wnat We clairn as new and desire to" secure by Letters Patent is 1. The manufacture of nitroglycerin nitrocellulose blasting explosives containing nitroglycerin by dissolving in the nitroglycerin an aromatic nitro-body in small proportion of the order of 0.1 to

calculated on the nitroglycerin, and ef- 1fecting the gelatinization of the nitrocelluose comprising nitroglycerin, nitrocellulose, and a nitro-aromatic accelerant forthe gelatlnization in amount not exceeding substantially one per cent. calculated on the nitroglycerin content.

3. A cold-gelatinized nitroglycerin nitrocellulose blasting explosive containing more than 50% nltroglycerln and a small proporlated on the nitroglycerin, of a gelatinizingv accelerant consisting of an aromatic nitrobody. V

In tBStiIHOIIy WhBTGOf We have signed our names to this specification.

- WILLIAM. RINTOUL.

DONALD CROSS.

. used in the claimsto include either asingle v thereby Without elevation of tempera- 'ture, substantially as described. a

2. A cold-gelatinized blasting explosive of the orderof 0.1 to l per cent, calcu- 

